Mancunians Queue for Brunch at Federal

Five years ago, New Zealander Jon Perry and Portuguese Claudio Ribeiro co-founded the Antipodean coffee bar, Federal in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. A second café has recently opened in the city’s Deansgate area. Daisy Jackson reviews the new offering for the Manchester Evening News.

“This café has already made itself comfortable in its busy perch near the Great Northern. On a Saturday morning, we’re threatened with a 40-minute wait for a table (thankfully, the queue moves much quicker),” Jackson writes for the newspaper.

“Although the vibe is similar to its sister site, with exposed brick, plants and yellow furnishings, there are subtle nods to Ribeiro’s native Portugal woven in to its fabric – the bar has been crafted out of cork from Porto, for one.

“Less subtle are the nods to Antipodean culture. A shelving unit near the tall windows displays Tim Tams, Milo, Vegemite and chicken salt. The menu boasts Little Creatures pale ale, corn fritters and banana bread.

“A pair of flat whites (£2.60) are far superior to most others in the city – velvety milk folded neatly around a punchy shot of Ozone espresso.

“[The menu is the sort] that will nourish you back uphill from your hangover downward spiral without lecturing you about eating your greens on the way.

“The realms of Bondi Beach, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest couldn’t be much more removed from the grit and grey of Manchester. But with Federal dominating weekend mornings, the city at least looks a little sunnier.”

Original article by Daisy Jackson, Manchester Evening News, May 11, 2019.